Chapter 5 Fire and ice

"You're late."

Alpha Lucian stood in the center of the training grounds, his arms crossed over his broad chest. He wore simple training clothes-black pants and a tight-fitting shirt that showed off every muscle.

I tried not to stare.

"I'm five minutes late," I said, walking toward him. I'd changed out of his jacket and into my own training gear-fitted leggings and a sports bra. "That's hardly late at all."

"When an Alpha tells you to be somewhere at noon, you're there at eleven fifty-five. Not twelve-oh-five."

"Then maybe you should have said eleven fifty-five."

His eyes narrowed, but I saw the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Are you always this difficult?"

"Only when I'm annoyed."

"And what do you have to be annoyed about?"

"My mother came to see me this morning. She wanted me to forgive Lucy."

The smile disappeared from his face. "And?"

"And I told her to leave. That Lucy is dead to me."

He studied me for a long moment. "Good."

"Good?"

"Yes. Good. Your sister betrayed you in the worst way possible. You owe her nothing." He gestured to the training mat. "Now, let's see what you can do."

I blinked at him. "What?"

"You wanted my attention, didn't you? Well, you have it. But I need to know what I'm working with. So show me. Fight me."

"Fight you? But you're an Alpha. I can't-"

"Can't what? Can't possibly win?" His smile was sharp and dangerous. "You're probably right. But I want to see you try anyway."

My wolf perked up at the challenge. She wanted to prove ourselves to him, wanted to show him what we could do.

"Fine," I said, stepping onto the mat. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Warned. Noted. Now come at me."

I didn't give him time to prepare. I lunged forward, aiming a punch at his stomach. He blocked it easily, but I'd expected that. It was a feint. My real attack was the kick I aimed at his knee.

He moved faster than should have been possible, catching my leg mid-kick and twisting, throwing me off balance. I hit the mat hard but rolled, coming back to my feet immediately.

"Good reflexes," he said, circling me. "But predictable. Try again."

I did. Again and again. Each time, he countered my moves effortlessly, but he never went on the offensive. He was testing me, I realized. Seeing what I could do.

After ten minutes, I was breathing hard, sweat dripping down my back. He hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Had enough?" he asked.

"Not even close."

This time, instead of attacking head-on, I feinted left, then dropped low and swept his legs. To my shock, the move connected. He went down.

But before I could capitalize on it, he grabbed my ankle and pulled me down with him. Suddenly I was pinned beneath him, his body pressing mine into the mat, his hands holding my wrists above my head.

We were both breathing hard now, our faces inches apart.

"That was clever," he murmured. "I didn't see it coming."

"You're not the only one full of surprises," I managed to say, despite the fact that my heart was racing.

His eyes darkened. "No. I'm beginning to realize that."

The air between us crackled with tension. His body was warm and hard against mine, his scent overwhelming my senses. I was acutely aware of how little we were both wearing, of how easy it would be to-

"Alpha Lucian!"

We both jerked our heads toward the voice. Teddy stood at the edge of the training grounds, looking uncomfortable.

"What is it?" the Alpha growled, clearly annoyed at the interruption.

"There's a situation at the northern border. Beta Edward needs you immediately."

Alpha Lucian cursed under his breath. He pushed himself up, releasing me from his hold. I immediately felt the loss of his warmth.

"I have to go," he said, offering me his hand to help me up. I took it, trying to ignore the electric jolt that ran through me at the contact. "We'll continue this later."

"Continue what? The training or...?"

"Both." His silver eyes held a promise. "Definitely both."

Then he was gone, shifting mid-stride into his massive black wolf and disappearing into the forest with Teddy.

I stood there for a moment, trying to catch my breath and calm my racing heart.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here."

I spun around to find Lucy standing at the edge of the training grounds, her arms crossed. She looked different than she had a week ago. Thinner. Paler. Like she hadn't been sleeping.

Good.

"What do you want, Lucy?"

"I want to talk to you. Sister to sister."

"We're not sisters. Not anymore."

She flinched but didn't leave. Instead, she walked closer, her eyes pleading.

"Hailey, please. I know you're angry-"

"Angry doesn't even begin to cover it."

"But you have to understand. Jude and I didn't mean for this to happen. We fell in love. Real love. The kind that-"

"Stop." I held up my hand. "I don't want to hear it. I don't care about your excuses or your justifications. What you did was unforgivable."

"So you're just going to hate me forever?"

"Yes."

She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "And sleeping with Jude's father? Is that your revenge? Because that's sick, Hailey. Even for you."

My wolf snarled inside me. "I'm not sleeping with him."

"Yet. But you want to. I can see it all over your face." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a hiss. "You think you're so much better than me? You're not. You're doing the exact same thing I did. Going after someone you shouldn't have."

"No. What I'm doing is nothing like what you did. I'm not betraying anyone. Jude and I are done. The bond is broken. I owe him nothing."

"But the Alpha is his father-"

"I don't care!" The words exploded out of me. "I don't care about Jude's feelings. I don't care if it hurts him. He hurt me first. He destroyed me first."

"So this is about revenge then. Not love."

"Love?" I laughed bitterly. "What would you know about love? You slept with your sister's mate for six months. That's not love. That's selfishness."

Lucy's face crumpled. For a moment, she looked like the sister I used to know. The one I'd shared everything with. The one I'd trusted with my deepest secrets.

Then I remembered finding her in my bed with Jude, and my heart turned to ice again.

"Get away from me, Lucy. And don't come back."

"Hailey-"

"I said get away!"

My wolf surged forward, my eyes flashing, claws extending. Lucy stumbled backward, fear written across her face.

"You're different," she whispered. "You've changed."

"You made me change. You and Jude. You killed the old Hailey. This is who I am now."

Lucy turned and ran. I watched her go, feeling nothing. Not sadness. Not regret. Nothing.

My phone buzzed. A text from the Alpha: Northern border secured. Meet me at my house tonight. 8pm. We have things to discuss.

My heart started racing again. His house. Not his office. His house.

This was it. The point of no return.

I texted back: I'll be there.

Because I was done running from this. Done denying what I wanted.

If the Alpha wanted to play with fire, then I would burn him alive.